Scarlet and Gold
by The Eighth Homonculus
Summary: What happens when you take an Ed-proclaimed leprechaun, her mysterious red stone, and the Elric brothers and transmute them together? One really odd chimera? :D  no...  Read to find out! onesided!OCxEd
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hullo and welcome to my fanfiction! This is a start-over on another fic I have that is still up for viewing ("Sour Cherries"), but with a few main points changed along with where it starts and also the title... "Scarlet and Gold"! I'll let you chew on the reasons for why I chose this title, but I don't think it's all that hard to guess myself.**

**Ed: It's because Naida's going to be-**

**Eighth: HEY MIDGET, DON'T TELL THEM!**

**Ed: WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET SO TINY HE'S SHORTER THAN THE EIGHTH HOMONCULUS HERSELF?**

**Eighth: Well I-! I'll have you know I broke 5 feet last week (in my last attempt at a growth spurt according to the doctor...)! J-just... Someone do the disclaimer!**

**Hoenheim: *sigh* The Eighth Homonculus doesn't own Full Metal Alchemist or it's characters, only Aureolus, Lucinda, and Naida. And it's a good thing, too, because-**

**Eighth: ALRIGHTY ON WITH THE STORY!**

**.**

**as a side note, this fanfic follows the manga/brotherhood storyline, otherwise it would make about as much sense as a pink rhino swimming through the air in July during bird-hunting season. I'm just not sure which category to put it in because of Brotherhood... and sorry this A/N is so long :P**

**#1#1#1#1**

**Resembool, 1903**

"Ed!"

"Hmph!" Edward shook his tiny blonde head, perched in a tree in the Elrics' front yard.

"Edward, you can't just climb the tree to run away every time you don't want to drink your milk!" His father called up to him. "And don't think I won't come get you!" Hoenheim brandished the cup of milk in his hand, spilling a few white drops on the grass.

"Milk is icky!" The four year old shouted with a scowl.

The blonde man set the glass of milk down in the grass and rolled up his sleeves, then started scaling the tree. "Milk is good for-"

Ed stood up abruptly on the branch, startling his father into falling back on his rear. The small boy paid no mind, instead leaning to peer down the dirt path that lead through the farming village. "There are people coming!"

Indeed, two people were coming their way from the direction of the train station. From this distance it was hard to tell, but Ed could see that one was tall and blonde while the other short with long, red hair. As he watched, the blonde looked up and caught sight of the boy watching and waved. Then he pointed and his companion looked up and waved, too.

By now Hoenheim had climbed up to sit next to his son, who was waving back.

When the duo had made their way through the rolling hills, their features became more distinct. The taller was a man who looked around twenty, wearing mostly white and tan but casual clothing. He had a long face with rectangular glasses in front of crimson eyes, underneath short hair that was wavy and looked as if it had been tousled from wind, though the air was now still.

His companion was a woman who didn't even come up to his shoulder. She looked a bit younger than him, and her round face and long, loose hair made her look like she was in her mid-teens from a distance. She wore an old-fashioned white dress and silver goggles on her head that glinted in the sun

and crimson eyes the same shade as her companion's.

The duo was headed for Hoenheim's house, and eventually came right to the base of the tree father and son were now perched in. The blonde man cocked his head back to look up with a grin. "Whatcha doing up there, Pops?"

Hoenheim looked around in confusion for a second, wondering the same thing. Then he caught sight of his son, who was looking down at the pair below with interest. "I'm retrieving this!" He pulled a protesting Edward into his arms and leapt down to land on his feet. He set his ruffled and offended son on the ground. "And what are you doing down here, Aureolus?" He went over to embrace the man.

"Oh, we were passing by is all." he said, releasing the older man.

"it's nice to see you again, Van!" The ginger woman smiled, going for her hug.

"Likewise, Lucinda!"

Edward had been inching off towards the house and freedom during this hug-fest, but his father caught him. "Oh no you don't!" he grabbed the back of the boy's shirt and picked up the abandoned cup of milk. "You're not moving until that's all gone, you hear?" He turned to his guests. "Why don't you come in? We're in the middle of dinner, and there's plenty of food."

The three headed inside with Ed trailing behind them, empty cup in hand. In the doorway he stopped his father by tugging on his pant let.

The man looked down. "What is it, son?"

"Daddy, why do those people have reddish-purple eyes?"

"They were made that way." The man then smiled knowingly. "And I saw you dump your milk in that bush."

Edward's golden eyes widened and his round face flushed. "N-no I didn't!"

"Trisha!" Aureolus shouted, sweeping into the kitchen. Bending on one knee, he took Hoenheim's startled wife's hand. "I swear you become more beautiful every time we meet!" He brushed his pressed lips over her knuckles.

"Aureolus, and Lucinda! What a surprise! And for the record we've only met four times, and the first I was five." She laughed.

Lucinda rolled her crimson eyes and kicked Aureolus lightly in the side with a white boot as she headed over to embrace Trisha. "And even that time Aure tried to cheat on me with you."

"And for the other record, "Aure swooped up to his feet, offended, "she had a cookie! It is a proven fact that if you flirt with a girl who has a cookie she'll share it with you!" He dramatically flopped into a chair at the table. Directing his red gaze at yet another small blonde boy who was sitting next to him trying not to giggle, he winked. "Remember that, little bro."

The little boy nodded with a grin.

There was a tug on Aure's sleeve. He looked down to find Edward glaring up at him. "That's my seat."

"Edward, don't be rude to our guests-"

"No, Trisha, it's fine." The man said, hopping up while holding his hands up in surrender. "My bad, little bro. Here ya go, I'll find another seat." He went to stand next to Hoenheim in the doorway. "Your kids sure are big now. Edward and … Alphonse, right?"

The smaller boy nodded with a big smile and chirped, "That's me!" gaining him a withering glare from his older brother,

"I'll get you two some chairs." Said Hoenheim. "Sorry, Ed can be rather blunt."

"Oh, no problem. You were always a big softie, no disciplining whatsoever. It sure saved my hide a few times, though, so I won't complain." Aure chimed.

Hoenheim laughed. "You were some kind of brat, too. It was tough being your guardian." He left the room and quickly procured two chairs, and the six people set about eating dinner.

"Aure's right, they are getting big." Lucinda noted, eying the boys. "Edward is almost as big as my little girl, Vivi, before..." The red head trailed off.

"Before she what?" Ed asked, jabbing a piece of steak with his fork.

Aureolus put a hand on Lucinda's. "See, there was a big fire in Lui's village and lots of people died in it, including her daughter and husband. Your father and I found her near dead and saved her." He squeezed her hand and she nodded.

Edward eyed his father. "Nope!"

"Nope what?" Trisha asked, perplexed.

"Nope, Dad isn't cool enough to have saved someone. It must have been you, Mr. Aure, and he was just there." The boy crossed his arms in triumph, proud of how smart he was to figure it out.

Ed's brilliant deduction was met with silence.

Aureolus and Lucinda shared a look. They both cracked grins. Then Aure was roaring with laughter and Lui's face was red because she couldn't breathe around choked laughs.

"That one," She gasped out after the blonde man had patted her on the back, "Is definitely yours, Trisha!"

Soon everyone was laughing, though Edward wasn't quite sure why.

#1#1#1#1

After dinner the boys raced to a neighbor's house to play with their friend, Winry. Aureolus reminded Al to be nice if she had a cookie. Alphonse giggled and tried to reply, but he was grabbed by the wrist and dragged out by Ed.

The women sat down talking about girl things, and the men retreated to Hoenheim's study.

"Quite a family you've got." Aure smiled sadly. "And Ed's got that older sibling thing down. Mara-"

"Mara was like that, eh?" Hoenheim smiled kindly at the other man. He had heard many stories about Aure's deceased sister, so much that he was sure he _knew_ the girl, even though they had never met.

Aure nodded. "Determined. Just you watch, he'll save that other little bro in a pinch one day."

_Mara linked her fingers. 'Aure, boost!"_

_Aure stopped scrabbling at the dirt wall in front of him to look into golden eyes. They were terrified, but there was something else in them, too._

_It was like they were on fire._

_The six year old took the boost and was launched over the ditch-border. He turned and grabbed Mara's hand to help her out._

_Almost... Almost!_

_A flash of red light erupted from the ground between the siblings._

"_It's too late." Mara stopped scrabbling._

"_Just a bit more! C'mon, Mara!" Aure cried frantically. Something black that was like a million tiny hands had followed the light. They poked and prodded at Mara, and she let go of Aure's hands to clutch her throat, staying propped up by her elbows._

"_Aureolus, listen." She said between coughs. "You... you're not allowed to...to die, got that?... Go to ...the capital, someone might... might be there..."_

_Aure tried to grab her arms and pull her out, tears streaming down his face. But she was eleven and much bigger than him, and the boy wasn't exactly the strong type. "No, you can't die either! We'll go together, c'mon..."_

_Mara shook her head. "Already gone... bye … Golden Boy." She smiled as the black hands pulled her back, and Aure lost sight of his sister._

Aure was jolted out of his reverie by a hand ruffling his hair. He blinked. When had he sat down?

"Hopefully it won't come to that for my boys." Hoenheim said softly. Aure opened his mouth to object, but Hoenheim continued. "I know that's why you're here. The transmutation circle."

Aure nodded. "Have you found it yet? How to stop it?"

Hoenheim turned away to look out a window, and Aure heard a barely audible "Yes."

Aure jumped up from the chair he didn't remember sitting in. "Well that's great! Just tell us and Lucinda and I-"

"It's not that simple."

"Wha-"

"I have to do it. And to do it I have to leave here."

"There's no other way? I'll do anything, but..."

Hoenheim turned to look at the son he had taken in nearly four hundred years ago. His head was down and fists clenched.

"I would never ask you to leave them. Six years of having a family... wasn't enough for me either."

Aure, staring hard at the floor, could hear Hoenheim approach, as well as see his feet. But it was still a surprise when a hand rested on his shoulder, and he looked up into the other man's eyes...

...And Hoenheim laughed. "You're making that exact same face, you know that? The face you made when that dog you were feeding in Xing died."

Aure was at loss for words. In his 395 years of memories, he had forgotten that one, but it all came rushing back.

Hoenheim continued. "Remember what I told you then?"

_A twelve year old Aure in the loose clothing of Xing cuddled the beautiful red stray to his chest, tears streaming down his face. He had fallen to his knees._

_Hoenheim stood behind him, a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It was meant to be, Aureolus. It would have happened anyway."_

Aure smiled sadly. "I remember what I said, too."

"_But why does it have to hurt so much?"_

"You haven't changed a bit since then. Not at all."

#1#1#1#1

Aureolus and Lucinda Helios left the next day.

Van Hoenheim followed suit soon after, leaving his wife and children behind.

_But why does it have to hurt so much?_

.

.

.

**A/N: Well there ya have it! I hope you guys picked up some subtle hints regarding Aure and Lui, but if you're confused I think more elaboration is coming next chapter... *checks notebook* …. Well I'll add it in. :P**

**And in the previous author's note I mentioned a character named Naida who hasn't showed up yet. She's coming, though! And "Naida" isn't a misspelling of "Nadia", it's a real name that's German according to my Grandpappy. :)**

**Leave a review if you like it (or hate it or wanna say "hi" or have any comments at all, I'm not picky nor will kill you if you flame me, I'm open to criticism)!**

**Peace! - Eighth**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: SOMEONE JUST MADE MY DAY AND HIT THIS STORY FOR THE 20TH TIME! I've been holding out till the 20th hit and I was going to shrug it off and type this anyway but then the 20th hit! (I get excited too easily) XD**

**Eighth: Ed, do the disclaimer.**

**Ed: But I'm not in this chapter!**

**Eighth: Don't say that! Then all the nice readers will go away! (He'll be back I promise)**

**Al: Sorry about Brother. But at least _he_ said more than two words last time!**

**Eighth: For Truth's sakes you were _three_, Al!**

**Al: And Naida's _two_ and speaking full sentences?**

**Eighth: …...**

**Aure: Children, please! I'll do the disclaimer! Honestly... The Eighth Homonculus doesn't own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters, So in this chapter the only thing she doesn't own is the name of the town itself...**

**Eighth: Do you all hate me or something?**

**Everyone: …...**

**Eighth: Oh, I see! So Aure, you don't mind if your bread gets squashed?**

**Aure; Huh?**

**Eighth: MUWAHAHAHAHAH!**

**#2#2#2#2**

**Outskirts of Fisk, 1903**

A white blur sped through the rolling fields, something long and copper-colored streaming out behind it. Sheep 'baa'ed' at the object from behind wooden fences and part of the blur giggled and whooped in return.

Suddenly a man's voice came from the blur, shouting "Snack time!" It stopped, spinning twice to give off momentum before lightly dumping Lucinda in the grass.

She flopped back, face flushed and hair wind-tousled, laughing. "You dropped me on the food, stupid! Now it'll be wrecked!"

Aure plopped down next to her, his wavy hair windblown even worse. He wrestled the food bag from her and opened it to inspect a squished loaf of bread. Shrugging, he took a bite. "Well I'm sorry for getting hungry! It's not like any energy gets spent running at the speed of sound toting around my fat little wife!"

Lui swung her boot at his head. "Take that back!"

"Yes, dear wife! What was I thinking disclosing that you weigh more than a cow to the grass?" He joked.

Lucinda's crimson eyes narrowed. "Why you!" She jumped up to smack him, which lead to a short chase near the side of the dirt road Aure had been carrying her piggy-back down. She didn't have a chance - he was faster than sight could register, and he let her end up with an armful of air five times before sweeping in for a kiss.

"Sorry, love, I didn't mean that. You're as light as a feather, I just get hungry fast!" With that, he sat back down to finish his bread.

"Hmph. I wish I was the fast one!" Lucinda sighed, plopping down next to him. She reached to break off a piece of squished bread.

"Then _you_ would be carrying _me_." Aure punctuated by swinging his half of the bread. "Plus, being 'Patience' is horrible. I always have to wait around for Pops to do anything."

"What did he say? It must not have been good." Lui speculated. "You pouted all last night."

"He explained it to me, but it didn't make much sense. I was never a great alchemist, and even that was a long time ago... But the gist of it is he has to travel to do it, and probably needs more Philosopher's Stone than he has."

"That many? That's insane!" Lucinda exclaimed. "Come on, tell me what he's doing!"

"I would if I could, love, but I'm too simple for it." He flopped on his back in defeat, covering his eyes. "Something about... replacing souls with the ones he's going to put in the ground. Does that make sense?"

"Not how you say it." Lui muttered, then lay down next to him. She turned her head towards his. "So what are we going to do?"

"'Not fight someone else's war.'" Aure quoted bitterly. He sighed and turned to look at his wife. "He'll probably need more Philosopher's Stones... Shall we go Stone hunting, then? Someone's bound to be making them, after all." A slow smile was creeping across his face.

"Stealing them?" Lui asked skeptically.

"They're bad things to have!" He sang.

"But still-"

"For the good of the country!" Aure said excitedly, hopping to his feet.

"You're not going to listen to me, are you?" She sat up, grinning as well.

"Maybe. What say you, Lucinda Helios?" He held out his hand to her.

"Well it's for the good of the country..." She shouldered the food bag and took his outstretched hand.

"Then off we go!" Aure cried, letting Lucinda hop on his back.

"Into the sunset?" She laughed.

"No, that's ridiculously cliché." Aure insisted. Then he started running, the fastest homonculus alive.

Off into the sunset.

#2#2#2#2

**Fisk, 1903**

Fisk was a small town, not nearly as bustling as Lucinda remembered it. On the other hand, she had lived there 80 years earlier, before the fire had destroyed the place. It had risen again from the ashes, but had not nearly regained the population that had died that terrible day. All the buildings were different, too, so it was not a huge chance that Lui would break down crying over a random lost memory.

Still, Aure was worried, and glanced at her furtively every few seconds, his arm around her shoulder as if to protect her from any bad memories that might come hurdling down the street.

None of what he expected did, but that didn't stop two children from it.

A little boy of around eight lit out of a bakery at the end of the rather quiet street, carrying a large basket. "C'mon Nai, I'll race you!"

"No fair no fair no fair!" A tiny toddler with bright red hair shouted after him, trying her best to keep up. "You're way bigger than me, William Dunn!"

The boy laughed. To anyone else he was obviously running slow so the little girl could keep up with him, but she though he was picking on her and sped up with a vengeance. When she passed him, the little girl turned to stick out her tongue at him...

And smacked headlong into Lucinda, sending herself flying.

"A-are you okay?" Lucinda asked, stunned.

"Nai!" The boy came up and helped the girl up. "You good?" She nodded deliberately and brushed her hands off, and he laughed. Then he stood to bow to Aure and Lucinda. "Please excuse Naida, I should have been watching her."

"Oh, it's all right." Lui smiled kindly. She crouched to address the tiny girl on her level. I'm sorry for bumping into you.."

The little girl looked up at her with delight. "No, no, my fault! Sorry, Willy makes me mad and I fall down..."

Her three elders laughed. "Well everyone's all right, that's good!" Aure smiled at the kids. "What would you guys say to some cookies?"

The little girl looked at him for the first time, a big grin on her face and her golden eyes wide.

Aure tried not to reel backwards, taken aback. He had traveled this country for centuries, and the only people he had ever met with golden eyes were Hoenheim and his sons. And Aure himself, if that could be counted. His own had turned dark when he became a homonculus some 300-something years ago.

He chanced a glance at Lui, who was smiling thoughtfully at the little girl. Had she noticed what he had? Trying to shrug it off, he fished too un-crushed cookies Trisha had given them out of the food bag and handed them to the children. "So where are you kids off to?"

"Back home. We were just picking up some bread for breakfast tomorrow."

"Big basket, though. Do you have a big family?" Lucinda asked, as she and Aureolus fell in step with the youngsters.

The little girl laughed, and William grinned. "You guys aren't from around here, are you? My parents own the best inn in Fisk!" He proclaimed proudly.

"Well then we're in luck!" Aure smiled. "We just got here today and don't have a place to stay yet."

"Yay!" Naida cried, pumping the tiny fist that wasn't holding William's hand.

"I think she likes you." William grinned up at them. The tiny girl nodded. "Which is odd," he said aloofly, "Because she hated me when we first met." He flung in her direction jokingly.

"Willy was mean and said 'No way am I watching that lil' kid!' though!" She justified, doing her best imitation of him. Everyone laughed, as they came up to a wooden building with a sign that read "Dunn Inn."

"Here we are!" William said, leading everyone up the steps. "We can go talk to Momma about your room, Dad'll be home soon, too."

Aure paid for their room and they went upstairs to rest until dinner. William's mother saying she would send someone to tell them.

Lucinda collapsed on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "That little girl..." She sighed.

"Reminds you of Vivi?" Aure guessed, going to sit down next to her.

"You think I'd be used to it by now." She closed her eyes. "It was so long ago, and I know she's be an old woman by now. Hell, _I'm _an old woman! But every time I see a little child, it just comes flooding back." She rolled over to look at Aure, and he put a hand on her cheek. "It's odd, though, Naida resembles Vivi _a lot. _She has the same red hair and little nose, I'm sure of it!"

Just then the girl in question opened the door, her gold eyes peering around it. "Can I come in, Mr. Aure? Mrs. Lui?"

"Sure, kiddo!" Aure answered, standing up. "Is it dinner time?"

"Yep, but..." The tiny girl came in, holding something behind her back.

"What's that, Nai?" Lucinda asked, having sat up.

"I wanna show you a picture my gramma gave me!" The tiny girl grinned, tottering right past Aure and holding a photograph over Lucinda's lap.

The picture was very old and faded, in black and white. It showed a family of three, a woman smiling and holding a toddler girl in her arms, and a man grinning next to them. The man and the girl shared the same grin, but the mother and daughter had the same shade of hair, which Lucinda knew was bright red.

Because the woman was her.

She took the photo in one hand, covering her mouth with the other. Aure had circled around to see, and bit his lip when he saw it and wrapped his arm around her.

"Nai... where did you get this?" Lucinda asked, struggling not to cry.

"i told you, my gramma! That's her, Vivian Maria Chilcott. But then she was Vivian Maria Eberhart when she married Grampa." She said, pointing at the little girl. "And that's you!" She pointed at the woman.

"Nai," Aure started slowly. "Vivian Maria Chilcott died in the great fire 80 years ago."

"No," the little girl shook her head for emphasis. " They said she was dead for a week before they found her in the 'rubble.' She liked telling me stories about it, but she lost her momma and daddy like me in it." The tiny girl hung her head for a second, but then looked up and smiled. "But I found you! Grammy'd be happy."

Lucinda looked at Aure for a second, then handed Naida the photo back. "Where is she? I have to see her."

"Well see," Naida looked down at her picture. "She got really sick and then she gave me a bunch of things. Mrs. Dunn says she went on a long trip and isn't coming back because God wants her to visit him." Her lip trembled. "And I can't go because I'm too little, so I stay here."

William cried "Dinner!" From outside the door. "Nai, what's taking you so long?" he asked, poking his head around the door. The boy looked at each person in turn. "What's going on?"

#2#2#2#2

"Lui." Dinner was over, and the couple had headed straight back to their room. "You can't be thinking what I think you are."

"And what is that?" She asked, removing her earrings in the vanity mirror.

"You want to take in Naida."

Lucinda sighed. "What am I supposed to do? She's my great-granddaughter, and she has no other family! You heard Mrs. Dunn. Mother died in childbirth, father doesn't know she exists, no aunts or uncles, and now both grandparents dead. What do I do?"

"She seems fine here." Aure went over to her and hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder and meeting her eyes in the mirror.

"But she's _mine_."

"She's not Vivi, love."

"And what about Vivi?" Lucinda cried suddenly, whirling on him. "She was alive! Lost for a whole _week_! But then they found her. Why didn't I help look? Why did I just trust them?"

"You had no way of knowing that they just proclaimed anyone who was missing dead! Or maybe they found a body that looked like her in a place she would have been? They were all burnt, Lui. No one could have known!"

"I was 'all burnt' too! You had no problem making Van fix that!"

"Lu, I would have ripped my Stone right out of me to heal and bring back everyone! You know that!" Aure sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands. "This is why I didn't want to come back here..."

"Why?" Lucinda yelled, still in her rage.

"We always fight and then I do... stupid stuff." He peeked at his wife through his fingers. She was still glaring at him with contempt. "I... I'm sorry, okay? For everything, because apparently it's all my fault. But I love you, and... think about it. What would we do with a little girl? We're traveling the country to help stop a crazy monster with a God-complex from turning the country into a giant Philosopher's Stone. She could get killed, and what kind of life is that in the first place?"

"The kind we're leading!" Lucinda answered, cooling off but still persistent. "And we could protect her. She needs her family, Aure!"

"Her great-grandmother jumped out of an old photograph and her ancient sidekick? That's her family?"

"Yes it is!"

Aure sighed. "Fine."

"Really?" Lucinda cried, running up to him and taking his hands. She smiled into crimson eyes.

"Really. You sure know how to wear a guy down, you know that?"

"I've had years of practice."

"Too many."

#2#2#2#2

**A/N: Well there you have it! Another small child's normal life shattered by the whim of the author! Oh do I have plans for you, Nai... MUWAHAHAHAH!**

**Joking aside, I will get into the actual canon eventually, I promise. This part was probably the hardest to write, and it has about 14 different versions. I shirked the original after typing the first half, but this came out _wayyy_ better and with the same result. Yay!**

**As I was saying in the above author's note, I was holding out for 20 hits. So I think it's fair to wait for 40 now, right? :D**

**TTFN! - The Eighth**


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